I once trained a young woman speaker who fainted during the training--not because she was frightened, but because she hadn't had breakfast that day and was working on more than 12 hours without nourishment. I'll tell you what I told her: The speaker's first job is to take care of the speaker's health, because no one else will do that for you. National Women's Health Week kicks off its 10th anniversary celebration next month on Mother's Day, May 10, but I want you speaker-ready by then. So here are my best tips for ensuring that the healthy speaker is you:- Mind your voice and vocal cords: Read about what to do when you're losing your voice, and learn from Jane Fonda's recent voice lesson what you should know about dry environments and hydration.
- Calm your anxiety: Find out what to do when anxiety takes your breath away, find ways to care for yourself to stay cool and collected, and ponder whether vitamin C can curb your lack of enthusiasm for speaking.
- Pay attention to your hearing: Speakers may miss signs of hearing loss--in themselves. If you think your audience needs to speak up, consider this.
What else do you want to know about speaker health? From what shoes to wear to core exercises to help your posture, I'm ready to tackle your questions about mind or body health considerations for public speakers. Leave your questions in the comments, or email me at info[at]dontgetcaught[dot]biz.
